I had a fantastic fortnight away in the sunshine, but it was good to get back behind the mic for another 70’s Rock Show, which was rather good (even if I say so myself)…

The show kicked off with some rock featuring funky horns: Bowie/Ziggy, Chicago, plus the awesome Blood Sweat & Tears & the incredibly funky voice of Genya Raven & Ten Wheel Drive. David Bowie might have one of the best album titles from the era, but Caravan might just have one of the best track titles...

Camel’s first single was the first track featured tonight to come from a debut, eponymous album – later we had offerings from Black Sabbath, Barclay James Harvest & America, all of which can claim the same…

It’s always a pleasure to listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival & John Fogarty, as it is to hear Steve Miller (I’ll say it again, “Fly Like An Eagle” is one of my favourite albums). Steve Hillage interpreted Donovan’s classic “Hurdy Gurdy Man” with the help of Todd Rundgren (what an ending!), but it’s a shame we can’t squeeze the 60's original in somehow…

Glam came thick & fast after the trandem riding Goodies, with Slade, Suzi Q, Mud & The Sweet, but Cheap Trick showed they could do glam even after glam had finished. Blue Oyster Cult added a touch of something much heavier…

Prog Rock masters Yes delivered their interpretation of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “America” (we had the single version of their ten minute opus) & then Paul & Art harmonised their way through the delightful original – unusually, the lyrics don’t rhyme…

Shawn Phillips’ voice was at it’s ethereal best, segueing into a remarkable soundscape that in part reminds me of “Revolution #9” from The Beatles [white album]. Pink Floyd then casually & perfectly overlapped, making it all seem 'dark' before David Crosby, Stephen Stills & Graham Nash lightened things with “Dark Star” (?!)…

Neil Diamond reached #4 on both sides of the Atlantic with a song about being torn between two homes in America (which took him four months to write), after which Supertramp appropriately closed the show with their fourth single from “Breakfast In America”, all about the long road home…

Back again next week with another batch of memories, including some tracks you might not have heard before (but you’ll wish you had)…

The full playlist for this weeks show was as follows:

1

David Bowie

Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

2

Chicago

Till The End Of Time

3

Blood Sweat & Tears

Lucretia Mac Evil

4

Ten Wheel Drive

Pulse

5

Caravan

If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You

6

Camel

Never Let Go

7

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

8

Steve Miller Band

The Window

9

Steve Hillage

Hurdy Gurdy Man

10

The Goodies

The Inbetweenies

11

Slade

Let's Call It Quits

12

Suzi Quatro

Too Big

13

Mud

The Cat Crept In

14

The Sweet

Action

15

Cheap Trick

ELO Kiddies

16

Blue Öyster Cult

The Red & The Black

17

Black Sabbath

The Wizard

18

Barclay James Harvest

Good Love Child

19

Yes

America

20

Simon & Garfunkel

America

21

Shawn Phillips

Troof - Capé Barras

22

Pink Floyd

Welcome To The Machine

23

Crosby, Stills & Nash

Dark Star

24

America

Sandman

25

Neil Diamond

I Am...I Said

26

Supertramp

Take The Long Way Home

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